Brand DNA: The Core of Effective Brand Strategy
These days, Brand DNA is a commonplace term in the marketing lexicon used every day by brand strategists. My colleagues, James Stewart, Ian Henry and I coined the phrase at the Brand Company in Hong Kong over 25 years ago.
We were in the process of developing the trademarked Brand Centred Management™ (BCM) 4Ds process. We observed that millions of dollars were spent on the ‘superficial packaging’ of brands such as logos, visual identity and design (important though these are) – but not the substance of the experience of that brand.
The term “Brand DNA” was conceived at this time to encompass not just the brand's visual elements but a position statement that went to the heart of stakeholder’s relationship with the brand; WHY the brand exists for them, WHAT it promises them and HOW it goes about delivering that promise.
It embraced less tangible assets such as core beliefs, brand personality, brand experience, voice, and how the brand interacts with customers and a wider group of stakeholders.
I’ve been referred to as ‘The Father of the Brand DNA’ which is flattering and perhaps a stretch...but I have been using Brand DNAs to help companies large and small build effective, enduring and differentiated brands that build stronger businesses for over 30 years now.
What is Brand DNA?
Your Brand DNA is a future-forward desired positioning in the minds of your customers. It expresses a future desired state – it is a quest – a holy grail to strive for. Properly executed it is a concise a one-page sheet that encapsulates the company’s role, promise, benefit, culture & spirit & Icons & Attributes.
Brand DNA includes:
Role: The role you play in your stakeholder’s lives / Why you exist / What you believe in.
Promise: The overarching commitment you make to your stakeholders
Benefit: The benefit they get from you successfully delivering your promise
Culture / Spirit: How you go about delivering your promise / ‘the way things are done’
Icons & Attributes: An asset closely associated with the brand that adds value. For example, the golden arches for MacDonalds or Tiffany’s beautiful turquoise blue “Tiffany Blue”.
A Brand DNA one-page sheet uses the most powerful of weapons - words - to express thought and direct action.
But Brand DNA’s can also be expressed in other mediums. It can incorporate all the senses: visual, verbal, taste, audio, audio-visual, tactile and smell. Think about the Jeopardy theme music, the Netflix ‘ta-dum’ or the James Bond theme music. For tactile, think of lego blocks, or Moleskin notebooks with their soft, suede feel, or silk Hermes scarves…you get the idea.
The Brand DNA serves as the organization’s 'True North,' guiding it toward a clear vision of the future.
Why is a Brand DNA important?
The strategic frameworks used in past decades, were geared toward ‘superficial’ deliverables’; a new logo or Visual Identity design, a website refresh or a new advertising campaign – not the substance of what companies were doing for their customers through their products orservices.
The Brand DNA is the beacon that guides every aspect of a brand's operations, from design identity and internal culture to external marketing strategies and customer experiences. From the products and services a company offers, to the structures and systems that help produce them. A powerful Brand DNA informs everything a company or organization does and says.
Understanding the importance of Brand DNA reveals how it serves as the foundation for a successful brand strategy, that in turn drives a successful business strategy. It provides:
Guidance - Having a Brand DNA gives you a clear positioning that directs action. “If you don’t know where you’re going, all paths take you there” is the saying. With a Brand DNA you will always know where you are going.
Differentiation - In a crowded marketplace, it establishes a unique identity that stands out and resonates with the target audience.
Consistency - Brands with a well-defined DNA build stronger, more consistent connections with their audiences, fostering trust and loyalty.
Authenticity - It reflects the genuine values and beliefs that define your brand's identity, ensuring the brand stays true to its mission and cultivates loyalty and advocacy among consumers.
Together, these elements make Brand DNA a foundational aspect of building a successful brand. It drives a consistent desired experience through everything the brand SAYS and everything the brand DOES… at all touch points where stakeholders meet the brand. A well-crafted Brand DNA captures the complexity of your brand in a way that is easy to remember and actionable.
What’s the Downfall of Not Having a Brand DNA?
There are many downfalls businesses may suffer through the lack of a Brand DNA, including but not limited to:
A lack of relevance
No direction
A lack of inspiration
No clear offering for your customers
Weak customer-orientation or understanding of exactly who your customer is
A lack of clarity about how you show up for your customers
No understanding of your personality or tone of voice
Poor understanding of the heritage of the brand
Poor alignment of stakeholders
No context to develop an inspiring vision
An incomplete understanding of the opportunity for the brand
Mis-directed internal communication
Ineffective marketing and communications
Products and services that are out of step with customer needs and desires
Brand DNA - the Heartbeat of Brand-Centered Management™
At the core of the Brand DNA statement is the promise or overarching commitment you make to your stakeholders. What is it you are going to do for them or deliver for them?
Is it RCDC? – that is, is it Relevant, Compelling, Differentiating and above all Credible?
The last one is the most important.
So many brands over-promise and under-deliver. Never make a promise you cannot keep. As I say in ‘The 10 Commandments. How to build a Strong Brand (and steer your ship) (LINK)” you need to keep your promises, every time, everywhere.
So many companies believe they have to chest-thump and overclaim to get noticed or try to gain an edge. They create over-stuffed promises that they cannot deliver.
Delivering this promise consistently in everything the brand says and does is the foundation of building strong brands and a thriving business.
If you have a totally unique promise that’s relevant and compelling and you can deliver it, then flaunt it.
For the vast majority, your difference won't come in what you’re promising – others will promise the same or something similar. It will come in the richness of your unique Brand DNA. In the Gestalt. The total DNA is greater than the sum of its constituent parts. Often, it’s in HOW you go about delivering your promise. But it could equally be in other components of your Brand DNA.
The Brand DNA framework we use is designed to capture the richness required to create a unique positioning statement, whilst being simple enough to remember and capture in a single page.
You will find slight variations in the components of a Brand DNA, but at the heart of all of them is defining WHAT you stand for, to WHOM, WHY and HOW you go about delivering your promise.
FAQs
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The Brand DNA sheet is the condensed essence of the positioning of the brand. The Brand DNA dictates the development of the Brand book - and indeed every aspect of what an organisation does to build its brand. A brand book is a short document, often in digital format, but sometimes in coffee-table book fornat that tells the story of the brand. Content varies, but it should always include the Brand DNA. Other elements are: Brand origin & history, key milestones, target demographics, customer profiles, information on main products or services, packaging, future direction as well icons, logo and style guide.
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A Brand DNA is a strategic document. It is future-focused and directs action. It is intangible, it exists in words and concepts. Brand Identity is graphic design. It is tangible, you can see it and touch it. It is logos, design language such as colour palettes, mostly it refers to visual manifestations of the brand like wordmarks, logomarks and design elements, but may also include icons and assets in the other senses mentioned above, like sound or touch. Brand Identity and assets can overlap; think about Coca-Cola’s dynamic curve or Pepsi’s ‘Yin and Yang’ device. There are many other examples: IKEA’s bright blue and yellow livery, Burberry’s distinctive plaid, FedEx’s orange and blue logo with embedded arrow. Disney has several iconic assets built up over half a century or more from its’ magical castle to Mickey Mouse, Tinkerbell and Walt Disney’s italicised signature.
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The process of how to develop your Brand DNA is described in my book Dim Sum Strategy.
It is laid out in an easy-to-follow stepwise fashion in the online brand strategy program called the CBO Masterclass through The Lighthouse Brand Strategy Academy.
Your Brand DNA involves the first two Ds of the 4Ds process of Brand Centered Management™ - Discovery and Definition.
Discovery is the process of gathering insight into the perceptions of the brand amongst a diverse set of stakeholders. It identifies Top-of-Mind associations as well as prompted associations with the brands. Perceived strengths and challenges are identified as well as opportunities. Who the brand is most relevant to, what they value most about the brand and why is also covered. Elements of the Brand DNA such as promise, benefit and culture are also questioned.
Discovery processes range in scale and complexity and encompass both quantitative and qualitative input, often aided by generative AI tools.
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We test our Brand DNA’s against these four criteria:
Is it RELEVANT?
Is it COMPELLING?...Does it engage and interest stakeholders?
Is it DIFFERENTIATING?....Does it stand you apart from competitors?
Is it CREDIBLE?... Can you deliver consistently against your promise?
This can be done using a simple five or seven point rating scale to assess each component.
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The Brand DNA is always present. In the early days it should be at your side to remind and guide important decision-making across all aspects of the organisation.
In time, in the best organisations, the Brand DNA becomes ingrained in the fabric of the company. It intuitively guides thinking and behaviour. People don’t need a laminated card on a halyard to remember it because it’s already been internalised.
The Brand DNA informs or is translated into both strategic and executional items including but not limited to:
Elevator pitches
Pitch presentations
Websites
Advertising
Design / Visual Identity
Vision Statements / BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)
Strategic Frameworks (graphic representations of key strategic action)
Product and Service development
Marketing and communications
People development
Systems and structure
Policies and procedures
